Battery-electrode.



Patented Mar. I3', |900.

No. 645,26l.

F. K. mvma.

BATTERY ELEGTRDDE.

(Application led. May 2, 1899.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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|NvENT0R: FRANK K. HPA/ING.

WITNESSES:

BY wc C/yV/moa EY FIG. E

)M255 M111 NJ (Application led May 2, 1899 (No Nudel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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. WITNESSES: af INVENTOR? w76 FRANK K ivlwa #wwf/y 1 fm UNITED vSTATESPATENT OFFICE.

FRANK K. IRVING, OF NEVARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF y TO ANDREVG. VOGT, OF SAME PLACE.

BATTERY-ELECTRODE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,261, dated March13, 1900.

Application tiled May 2, 1899. Serial No. 715,312. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK K. IRVING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented vcertain new and useful Improvements in Battery-Electrodes; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

The purpose of my present invention is to produce a cheap and moredurable element or plate for batteries such as are used more especiallyfor motive and lighting purposes or for the propulsion of boats, cars,vehicles, and the like, where lightness, compactness, high potential,dac., are of prime importance.

A further object of this invention is to provide a battery plate orelement which shall be lighter, more compact, less complicated, and morepowerful than those now in general use and which at the same time shallpossess great durability and may be charged by a continuous current inone direction and not require any reversals of currents to form plates,as in other systems.

With these several ends in View my invention consists in making analloyplate composed of lead, zinc, and mercury, said plate to be cast orpressed into disks, rods, pans, or plates and to be immersed in anelectrolytic solution together with a metal of opposite polarity,substantially as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and finallyembodied in the claim.

In carrying out myinvention the battery plate or element consists of acomposition ofv matter or alloy which is prepared by first taking fivepounds of lead-shavings and twelve ounces of mercury, the same beingmixed, then melted together, and allowed to cool. After this molten masshas cooled sufiiciently the compound is broken up and mixed with zinc inthe proportion of onepart of the zinc to six parts of the lead andmercury compound and the Whole matter melted. The resultant alloy may becast, rolled, molded, or pressed into any suitable shape, as may -bedesired.

Fromthe above statement one might suppose that the mercury, having a lowpoint of volatilization, would pass off before the other metals melt;but such is not the case where the several metals are mixed in themanner hereinabove stated. The above mixture also enables me to combinemore of the zinc with the lead, which ordinarily would take up only atrace of the zinc in melting and leave the rest floating upon the moltensurface of the lead.

'0f course it will be understood that the hereinabove-stated proportionsmay be varied; but I iind the proportions herein given to produce themost satisfactory results.

By the employment of this composition of matter or alloy plate I amenabled to secure an element for a battery which has the followingaction: For sake ofk illustration say that one element is composed of asingle plate immersed in a solution of sulfuric acid, 30

Baume, together with a copper pole or strip.

Upon the introduction of a charging-current the zinc and mercury, beingtransferable by electrolysis andalso being soluble in the solution ofsulfuric acid, are deposited or plated upon the copper plate. Theelectrolytic oxygen attacks the remaining porous lead plate or plates ordisks and forms peroxid of lead. By the dissolution of the alloy plate Ihave a spongy porous lead plate left, and I deposit the metal necessaryto form the opposite pole therefrom,thus giving me alead-peroxid-zincmercury alloy combination which will produce anelectrornotive force of two and onehalf volts.

In the drawings accompanying this speciication I have 4illustrated twoconstructions of batteries in Which I employ my novel form ofbattery-plate.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is avertical section, and Fig. 2 a horizontalsection taken on line 0c in Fig. l, of one form of battery, in which mynovel plates are made disk-shaped. Fig. 3 is a part side elevation andpart longitudinal vertical section of another form of battery providedwith plates made according to my present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan orvtop view of said form of battery; and Fig. 5

IOO

In Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, b indicates the cell of thebattery,.the same being made of copper to provide the positive electrodeof the battery, said cell having a copper contactpiece b', Which has apart b2, bent at a right angle, or approximately so, in which there is ahole b3 for connecting said cell in circuit With the pole-piece (l ofanother cell. The said cell b is provided with a cover c, of anonconducting material, and has a hole c', in Which is secured in anysuitable manner a rod d, provided 'with a piece of vlead tubing orcovering d. Upon this support thus provided I have arranged the disks e,Which'form the negative elements of this battery and are made of thealloy hereinabove mentioned.

In the construction of battery represented in Figs. 3, 4:, and 5, aindicates the alloy plates, built up on two sides and the bottom Withinsulators a', the spaces between the plates a forth above I havehereunto set my hand this 3 g 29th day of April, 1899.

FRANK K. IRVING.

Witnesses: v

FREDK. C; FRAENTZEL, WALTER H. TALMAGE.

